Chapter 429

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

Shen Yao teased Song Ling about no longer finding a match for Shen Yu? It was also a kind of veiled probing.

"Not looking. Why ruin some other family's daughter? He should just stay single and raise a child himself."

Song Ling refused crisply and cleanly. Shen Yu was soft-eared and couldn't hold down a household. Running into a daughter from a good family would be her loss; running into one from a bad family would be his loss. Fortunately, Shen Yu now even had a son, so whether he started a family or not didn't matter too much.

Shen Yao felt satisfied in her heart at Song Ling's clear-headedness, but on her lips she muttered what a pity, what a pity (she absolutely wouldn't).

Mother and daughter each picked a back basket full of wild persimmons. Seeing edible wild vegetables around, they hurriedly grabbed handfuls and stuffed them into the baskets, plugging the gaps tight.

Shen Yao called to Song Ling to walk quickly back. They had taken the bus out today, and it was a bit far from the Base.

"Tomorrow let's go to another mountain to pick mushrooms. Yesterday Mom saw the neighbor next door pick a whole basket full. Dried and put in dishes, they can last a good while."

Song Ling spoke while planning. The New Base and Dawn Base weren't much different — nothing more than different Collection Points, with some difference in the time spent going out.

But if comparing the other pros and cons of the two Bases, Song Ling would choose the New Base with both hands and both feet raised.

"Tomorrow bring Dad and them along. Cheng Qi can drive when he's not going out."

With a car for transport, they could also pick more. The Cold Season lasted much longer than the Hot Rainy Season. Food was definitely the more the better.

"Ask your mother-in-law and them then. Everyone who came together — can't leave anyone out."

The Cheng Family's life slowly got back on track. Except Zhao Xue and Cheng Dage were a bit upset, everyone else was doing alright. A couple days ago Shen Yao delivered vegetables to Cheng Ba and Cheng Ma, and even saw Cheng Ba sitting at the doorway with two kids picking grain kernels.

Shen Yao smiled and told Song Ling to rest assured. The car could seat quite a few people front and back. Everyone come together.

Song Ling gathered in her smile, turned her head and scanned the surroundings. "Just now... was there someone calling our names?"

Shen Yao shook her head with an innocent face. "Don't think so. Who would come here to gather?"

Besides them being able to walk and willing to pick persimmons, everyone else preferred other fruits.

Song Ling scratched her head. "Maybe I misheard." She always felt the voice calling her sounded somewhat familiar, but with her memory... she just couldn't recall.

Forget it, forget it.

Song Ling set this matter down in her heart, and continued walking back laughing cheerfully with Shen Yao.

Not far behind the two of them, Chen Jia — who saw them and then regretted it — also revealed a weather-beaten face.

Perhaps the moment she saw Song Ling and Shen Yao, Chen Jia was delighted. But once she remembered her whole situation, she quickly sobered up again.

Can't go back.

Smiling bitterly, she shook her head, and leaning against the tree trunk slowly slid down to the ground.

Chen Jia hugged her legs, buried her whole head down. Tears silently fell down both sides. Just looking at her made one feel unbearable pity.

'Blame who? They're all adults. They should be responsible for their own choices.'

When the Chen Family fled by car, Chen Jia hesitated for a long time but still abandoned her husband and children. Now the Chen Family is in trouble — what face does Chen Jia have to come back?

Shen Yao had long known the one hiding behind calling them was Chen Jia, missing for a long time and now reappearing. Not reminding Song Ling was also unwillingness to invite trouble.

The System was puzzled. 'Host, Chen Jia now lives in the Slum District, running around everywhere daily for a living. If she swallowed her pride and acknowledged you, no matter what, she wouldn't go hungry.' Why would she be so hesitant and unwilling?

She's already been beaten down by society. Continuing to hold back will only make life worse and worse.

At a time like this she should shamelessly rush over. No matter what, survive first, then talk about the rest.

'She won't. If Chen Jia were the only one in the whole Chen Family to survive, she could still fight for it. But her mother-in-law and sister-in-law and nephew are still alive in the Chen Family.' What Shen Yao didn't say was: how would Chen Ma let Chen Jia escape her control? That wouldn't be one less blood bag to drain.

Early on, when the Chen Family grabbed a car and continued driving east, the System would occasionally check on their situation.

As expected, the Chen Family hadn't even reached the New Base before encountering Mutant Beasts. Several men were bitten to death by Mutant Beasts. Only a few women and children barely escaped back.

Penniless and about to face several months of the Cold Season's test, Chen Ma decided on the spot. She took her daughter-in-law and daughter into the Slum District to live.

Even to make life more comfortable, whether daughter or daughter-in-law, both were married off by Chen Ma in the name of doing it for their own good.

Now Chen Jia has become someone else's wife. What use would Shen Yu going over there be? Better to cherish the memory than meet. Let it go.

The System sighed. 'The Chen Family really has rotten luck.' Greed leads to big loss.

'So we mustn't learn from them.' Shen Yao shifted the topic onto the System, urging it to explore the surroundings more for food when it had nothing to do. Stockpiling grain before the Cold Season was the real business.

System:...

The following days passed very fully. When Cheng Qi was free, he drove a whole group of people out. When Cheng Qi was busy, they took the bus out themselves. Every day two points, one line, rushing between Home and Collection Point, like a little hamster, carrying packages, accumulating bit by bit.

When the howling cold wind brought freezing air, the busyness stopped. Winter arrived in a second.

The training that had stopped during the Mild Season was picked up again by Cheng Qi.

Manman moved her body, grown another circle larger. Every day she followed behind her birth father, heaving and puffing as she practiced.

The Energy Stones used as nutritional supplements were already used up. Considering Manman's age, Shen Yao and Cheng Qi temporarily didn't plan to continue. They only took out one as a spare. The other Energy Stones continued locked in the wooden box.

Compared to previous years, this year's Cold Season had obviously lengthened again.

Manman didn't pay attention because she was focused on training with her birth father. But someone like Shen Yao who loved browsing forums and reading information could feel the increasingly harsh survival Environment.

The couple tacitly increased Manman's daily training load, including hands-on ability. From morning opening her eyes to evening closing them, Manman basically spent it all in busy, busy, busy.

Spring warmth and flowers blooming. The Mild Season arrived again. Manman shouldered her little schoolbag, sent to School by Cheng Qi.

Admonishing her to study knowledge and skills well. The couple, getting a temporary breather, then put even more energy into going out gathering.

Cheng Qi began consciously choosing long-term Missions. Shen Yao paid more attention to Energy Stone news. Relying on the System's cheat and her own blind luck, she really did discover a few Energy Stones containing relatively low energy.

Collected them, locked them in the wooden box, placed in the space.

Shen Yao rallied her spirits, answered Song Ling calling her at the doorway, grabbed her back basket and hurriedly ran out.

"Today we're going to the Bamboo Forest. Bamboo shoots have grown there. Dig more back to pickle sour bamboo shoots. And bamboo rats..."

Song Ling's eyes reddened at the neighbor's good luck. Today no matter what she had to make a trip to the Bamboo Forest.

Shen Yao thought the Bamboo Forest might still have Energy Stones, and as she walked she had the system open a back door for her, "These are all our Missions."

System: ……

What could the System do? Of course it chose to believe. The effect of using Energy Stones was immediate; it just required taking a bit of risk, right? Done!

…………

"Mom, Mom"

"Aiyo, what's wrong? Did School let out early?"

"Grandma, the School conducted the graduation test, I got Excellent in all subjects."

"Really? Bu Gong Qi is Grandma's good baby, Capable/Powerful!"

"Hehehe"

Shen Yao hadn't come out yet when she heard Manman already chatting away animatedly with Song Ling.

Good grief, the backpack she carried on her back hadn't even been Put Down, and she just stood straight at the Doorway shooting the breeze.

Shen Yao annoyedly made Manman Put Down her backpack, then Scolded her to stand Body Straight; a little kid, what's with always Bending at the waist and hunching the back.

Manman sighed "ai ai ai" several times, her tall figure running to Shen Yao's front to Act Spoiled.

"Mom~"

Shen Yao lightly Pat once, "Don't put on affected airs, speak properly."

Manman: ……

"Mom, I passed the School assessment today, already successfully Graduated."

Manman finished telling the good news, herself circling around her birth mom in circles.

Shen Yao's Brain Dizzy, "Cheng Xi, stop quickly!"

Hearing her own full name appear in her birth mom's mouth, Manman obediently let go and stood at attention, and following that she heard the words she most wanted to hear, "Go Out with your dad to practice, at this age you should Prepare for the next step."

Manman: ……Eyes Light Up

Moved!

Manman like a gust of Wind ran to Song Ling's front to tell about her being able to Go Out, provoking Song Ling to be happy yet inevitably worried; these years Outside are so Dangerous.

"Good baby, listen to Grandma's words, don't go," Song Ling cited Shen Yu, "Your uncle's hand was broken precisely because he hadn't fought that group of Mutant Beasts; how old are you?"

Manman looked longingly at Song Ling, "Grandma, I'm already fourteen, long past the Base's Gene Awakening Smallest age."

If not for these years Dad and Mom always emphasizing Basic Foundation, she would have Early already Gene Awakening, soared to the skies, Foot Trample Base Patrol Team, Fist Strike Outside Mutant Beasts.

Kids are precisely the age that loves fantasy; don't look at Manman's height not being low, a body of Muscle hard as a rock, like a large super-strong plush doll, but her Emotions are still a child's, come fast go fast, as long as she idles she Can't Help but want to think east think west wild speculation.

Nowadays words spoken spoke and she started Running a Train, and before Grandma Song Ling could Refutation, she was first Na Pin by birth mom Shen Yao.

"More nonsense and I won't let you Go Out," one sentence absolute kill.

Shen Yao Point At the Room, had this kid go back Rest feet first, herself Turn Around busy with the Wild Vegetables picked back this morning.

Song Ling saw this mother-daughter two walk quite fast, herself also felt Nothing to Do, found an Excuse to leave, planning to continue Go Out stroll around Base Outside a bit later, best pick some Shepherd's Purse back to wrap Dumplings.

Home's grandson especially Love Eat Shepherd's Purse Fresh Meat Dumplings, Zuo You herself Nothing to Do, start on it first.

Evening Cheng Qi off work Return Home, just entered door and Received from birth daughter's enthusiastic welcome.

Cheng Qi: ……?

Lower Head Look At the Slippers placed at the door front, then look at the daughter standing at the Doorway grinning silly happy, Cheng Qi One Hand Mo Ni Chin, Decisive used Wristwatch to transfer some Points over.

"Keep as Pocket Money, is it you spent over budget and Dare not ask Mom for it?"

Manman: ……

Manman pouted Speechless, what's with Dad, Suspicion her Personality!

Hmph! As an already Smoothly Graduated big kid, Manman Guarantee, she has long since Nowadays not what she was before, still using old eyes to look at her is simply a huge mistake.